Midnight Madness
by Kira'sGuardian
Summary: Lucy is plagued by nightmare after nightmare about losing her friends, Natsu is having problems controlling himself, and Gray is reconsidering his relationship with Lucy. And let's not forget poor Loke, stuck in the middle of it all with his own problem.
1. Chapter 1

When she finally entered the dark dungeon-like room, chills raced down her arms and back. The thought that her closest friend is in here, had been in here for months, made her hate the people that captured him.

And it was all her fault.

_"Lucy!__Look out!" He screamed, launching himself in her direction. She heard a muffled, sickening thump, a quiet grunt, and then she felt his arms wrap around her and suddenly she was on the ground, on her back, staring at his salmon hair._

_"N-Natsu?" She whispered, shaking his shoulder.__He didn't reply, and she felt a cold shiver down her spine._

_She sat up, ignoring the battle raging around her, and gasped.__A small dagger was embedded in the flesh of Natsu's back, just below his shoulderblades.__She realized that he'd taken a serious blow.__For her._

_He was taller than she, which meant the dagger would've hit her square between her shoulderblades, possibly higher.__It would've killed her._

_He saved her life.__Again.__But this time, she thought as she tried to wake him, he might have lost his own in the process._

_All around her, the battle still raged.__Fairy Tail fought even harder, now that one of their own had been taken down._

_One lone figure stood apart from the fight, watching the blonde girl with the pink-haired idiot._

_Foolish boy.__The girl was what they needed._

_But the boy would do for now._

_The figure disappeared into shadows and reappeared near the girl.__He yanked the boy from her grasp, holding him up by the back of his head.__The boy stirred, dark green eyes opened slowly.__The girl shrieked as a Shade grasped her arms from behind, snickering as it held her in place._

_"No! Let me go! Natsu!" She yelled, fighting the shadow demon.__The figure laughed and rattled the boy.__He yelped in pain, and the girl froze._

_"See?__You don't struggle, he doesn't die."_

_She bit her lip and her eyes watched Natsu's face.__His eyes opened and landed on her, and he started to fight the figure's grasp._

_"Lucy! Let her go!"_

_The figure snickered and carried the boy closer, just enough so he could touch the girl.__The pinkette brushed his fingers across her hand and was about to grab it when the figure yanked him back._

_"Say goodbye." He breathed, then disappeared into the shadows, a lingering yell from the boy the only evidence that he'd been there._

_The battle stopped abruptly, the shadows melting away._

_She dropped to the ground and started to cry._

_He was gone._

She woke to a raucous screaming sound. It took her several moments to realize that it was her screaming, and that she was in her own bed. It was still dark outside her window, and she could feel the cold breeze blowing through the room. Someone's arm was draped lazily over her hip and warm breath ghosted across the back of her neck.

Glancing back, she saw the mess of pink hair, the white scarf that he treasured so much. The red guild crest tattooed on his arm.

She twisted herself into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his body tightly, buying her face in his chest. Tears dripped from her cheeks and she ignored them, just relieved that it had only been a dream...

... Right?

Her fingers encountered something wet on his back and when she lifted them away, they glistened with blood.

"Natsu?" She asked, worriedly brushing his cheek with her hand. He stirred, tired green eyes blurry with sleep.

"Mmm?" He moaned, running a hand over his face.

"You're bleeding." She whispered, slipping out of his arms and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." She mumbled, taking his hand and tugging him into a sitting position.

He sat up halfway, hissed in pain, and fell back on the bed.

"Natsu!"

"I'm okay, I'm okay..." He bit out, one hand clutching his side. He tried to sit up again and flinched, curling up. Lucy tugged his arms away and helped him lay back down. "Show me where it hurts," she murmured, running one hand through his sweaty pink spikes. He grabbed her hand and kept it on his head, then pressed her other against his side. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the pillow-at least; he looked like he was relaxing into the pillow.

Lucy got up and retrieved the first-aid kit from her bathroom and returned to the bed. She helped him slip out of his jacket and inspected his side carefully. A narrow gash ran from his ribcage down to his hip, and it was oozing blood. As she cleaned it, she noticed something sharp sticking from the wound. She bit her lip and pinched it between her thumb and forefinger, then laid her other hand on Natsu's flat stomach and yanked it out. He yelped in pain and curled into a ball, hands clutching at the now-bleeding gash.

She got a good look at the offending object; a wickedly long, twisted splinter of glass. It had wedged itself into his flesh and went unnoticed, apparently, until now. She put it in the box with the rest of the supplies and recleaned the wound, then started to bandage it. Natsu's chest rose and fell quickly as her hands brushed across his back while she wrapped the bandage around his torso. When she was finished, she crawled onto the bed behind him and cleaned a cut on his back, her cool fingers just barely touching his skin. When she had finished bandaging it, she mumbled that she was done, and her arms wrapped around his torso from behind, and he was instantly glad she couldn't see his face. Her own was laid against the warm skin of his shoulder, her eyes closed.

"Luce...?"

"Mmm?"

"Thanks..." she smiled and tightened her grip on him.

"It's what nakama do, right?"

"Right." He mumbled, relaxing when her arms slid away and she stood to carry the first-aid kit to the bathroom.

She returned to find him facing the window, his shoulders slumped and his head tilted to one side. She climbed into the bed and twined her fingers with his. He glanced down at their hands and shot her a questioning look, to which she motioned to the pillows waiting for them. He sighed and laid back gingerly, closing his eyes and inhaling the sweet scent that was so very Lucy; chocolate, vanilla, and just a hint of hibiscus blossom. The bed shifted as she lay down next to him and snuggled into his arms.

"Natsu?"

"Huh?"

"Promise you'll always be here."

She whispered, nuzzling into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face into her hair.

"Mmm..."

"Natsu?"

"I'll be here."

"Okay." he felt her smile into his chest and relax into an uneasy, light sleep.

He tightened his arms around her and sighed; she echoed him and one of her hands slipped across his side, just ghosting over the skin there. He sighed and shifted his head to her shoulder, sniffling into her skin. She let out a soft breath and wrapped her arms up and around his ribs. He smiled into her neck and sighed, exhaustion settling in. She snuggled into him again and pressed one quick kiss to his shoulderblade, surprising him and making him blush, then laid her head against his shoulder, happily slipping off to sleep.

He found it way harder to sleep that night, images of her writhing, moaning, panting beneath him, her cheeks a furious color, her eyes hazy. They wouldn't leave him alone. Being forced to stay here by the blonde in his arms was making him dizzy, her sweet scent overwhelming his already-sensitive nose. He looked her over to assure that she was indeed asleep, and when he has done so, a low growl escaped his throat and he pressed his nose to her shoulder, inhaling her heady smell.

The sweet, chocolaty, flowery scent that was so Lucy flooded his senses, sending his mind reeling into even more deliciously sweet thoughts, of her body over his, soft and warm against his skin, her mouth slanted over his own, fighting with him for control.

She moaned, a very, very inappropriate sound, and her fingernails dug gently into his back.

He realized that while he was daydreaming, he'd pulled her flush against him and somehow his mouth had found its way to her neck, kisses trailing up the side and there, right where her shoulder met her neck, was a dark red bite mark, standing out harshly against her pale skin.

He flushed a dark red and put a bit of distance between himself and her warm body.

He was just about to slip out of her arms and sleep on the floor when he heard it.

"Natsu..." She moaned. Her arms tightened around him and she tugged him back to her.

He felt her leg slide not-so-innocently between his and gulped.

It was going to be a long night for him.

"L-Lucy.." he groaned, trying to free himself. She responded only by tightening her arms a bit more. Her leg slid against his, hot against cool, and he shivered.

It felt so good.

Shit.

"Lucy, please..." He pleaded, trying to remove her arms. "Please, Luce, let go..."

She mumbled his name and pressed her body flush against his, completely, utterly. He felt the tightness in his trousers and hissed lustfully when her bare stomach rubbed against him.

This was too much.

He was going to do something he would regret if he didn't get away soon.

Struggling to keep himself under control, he pushed away from her and slipped out of the bed. Quickly, his movement jerky and sensitive, he threw a blanket over her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her mouth, to the bite mark on her shoulder.

Then he opened the window and slipped out into the night to relieve himself of the uncomfortable stiffness below his waistband.


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy woke the next morning shivering. The window was open, and the winter snow was floating in gently. A blanket was draped across her hips, and her comforter was tangled around her legs, leaving her torso and feet bare to the cold air.  
She snuggled backwards, searching for Natsu's warmth, but ended falling out of the bed with a surprised shriek. Frowning, she stood and dressed for the day. When she was finished, and still no sign of the fire mage, she left her apartment and went to the guild. All was strangely peaceful, if noisy. Her day flew by uneventfully, no fights, no missions, no problems, and still no Natsu. When she went home that night, she puzzled over his absence. _Where could he be?__He__'__s not at my house, he__'__s not at the guild, I haven__'__t seen him around Magnolia today__…__Maybe he__'__s at home?_ But then she had another thought. _He__'__s probably tired out still and is sleeping at home.__I__'__ll see him tomorrow, I__'__m sure of it._ Assured of herself and her expectation, she went to prepare for bed.

"Lllllllllluuuuuusssshhyyyyyy!" Came an ear-piercing yowl, followed seconds after by a blue blur crashing into her chest, sending her sprawling backwards with a yelp of pain. Said blue blur resolved into Happy, who took to zooming around her ceiling shouting something unintelligible, over and over.

"HAPPY!" She yelled, scaring the blue exceed and sending him crashing to the bed.

"Lushy! Do you know where Natsu is?!"  
"No. Actually I was about to ask you the same thing; he was here last night and slept in my bed, but he was gone when I woke up."  
"He was supposed to report back to the guild when he and Gray got back from their mission! Master is gonna send Erza after them if he doesn't come to the hall today!" The tiny cat babbled, his face the picture of horror at the thought of Erza. "Lushy, you have to help me find Natsu!"  
"Okay, Happy, I'll help you. Calm down. Let me get up and get dressed and eat something. There's a fish in the fridge if you-"

She didn't finish before Happy had taken off for the kitchen, in pursuit of said fish. She sighed and walked to her closet, her mind plotting out places that the fire mage could've gotten to. _He wouldn__'__t be at the guild, obviously.__Maybe at the park?__Or what about the diner?__Maybe he__'__s in the town._

She pulled out a white miniskirt and tossed it onto her bed. It was quickly followed by a dark pink zip-up sports vest with white stripes.

_What if he__'__s hurt again?__Maybe he went to Porlyusica__…__no.__She hates him.__Maybe he__'__s at his house?__Probably not, but I guess we could check there._

Quickly, she walked to the bathroom and started to brush her hair. As she combed through her blonde tresses, she noticed a red mark on her neck that looked almost like…_a hickey?_ She touched it and sure enough, the mark was slightly raised and warm to the touch. It also kinda hurt to touch it. A sudden image of warm, muscled arms wrapped around her arose in her mind, and she blushed furiously. Lips brushed against the side of her neck and she moaned, feeling a pinch and then a kiss. _"__Lucy__…"_ Natsu's voice hissed.

She blushed an even darker shade of red and pushed the thoughts away. She plaited her hair into two braids and twisted them into twin buns at the nape of her neck. She tucked her bangs behind her ear and secured them with a pale pink clip.

She swiftly brushed her teeth and applied a bit of makeup before returning to her bedroom, only to find Happy napping on her bed with the fish in his mouth. She shook her head with a smile and shrugged out of her robe. She slipped her arms into the vest and zipped it up before reaching for the miniskirt. She pulled it up to her hips and was just finishing the last button when a warm hand covered her eyes, another slipping around her waist.

"Guess who, Lucy…" He hissed roughly. She relaxed and leaned into a warm, solid chest.

"Natsu, you scared me."  
The fire mage snickered and moved his hand from her eyes to her shoulder. His rough palm made her skin tingle pleasantly and she blushed a furious red.

"Didn't know you were so sensitive, Luce!" He teased, scooping her up and tossing her gently onto the bed.

The sudden weight woke the sleeping cat, who yowled at Natsu for a second before realizing that his friend was right there, and that he was in big trouble.

"NATSU YOU BAKA!" Happy screamed, throwing his fish at the fire mage, who quickly ducked to avoid the smelly projectile. "MASTER WANTS YOU AT THE GUILD AND HE'S GONNA SEND ERZA AFTER YOU!" She watched the poor pinkette visibly shudder and pale in terror. The red-headed Armor mage was no small chick when it came to hunting down elusive mages. And Natsu was no different than any other mage, if not more elusive.

"Happy," he soothed the blue exceed, "Why don't you go and tell Erza-san that I'll be at the guild tomorrow, okay? I need to talk to Lucy, _alone_." He said it sweetly, and watched with satisfaction as the blue cat caught on to his hidden meaning and turned a bright purple color.

"Eeewwww Naaaatsuuuuu! You and Lushy did it?!"

"DID WHAT?!"  
"No, Happy, relax. I just need her help with something and I don't want you getting into it. Now go find Erza and tell her." He glared at the blue cat, who shot into the air and flew circles around the room, still yowling "groooosss! You lliiiiiike herrrr!" before zooming out the window to find the Armor mage.

As soon as the exceed was gone, Natsu closed the window and locked it before turning back to Lucy. She sat up and folded her legs, motioning for him to come and sit by her. He did so quickly and mirrored her, his legs folded and his arms resting on them.

"So, what did you need help with?" She asked, nervously fingering the hem of her skirt.

"Nothing, I just wanted to stay away from Erza."  
"Oh." She felt defeated and somewhat embarrassed.

"Hey, Luce." He said suddenly, surprising her. His voice was off, lower and rougher.

"Hmm-mm!" She gasped as his hand was suddenly at her jaw, pulling her to him. She went rigid, but soon the feeling of his mouth on hers was too nice, and she responded by leaning into his reach, her arms winding around his neck and into his hair.

His tongue traced her lower lip and she gasped, allowing him access to the inside of her mouth. She moaned, and he froze for a moment before smiling into her mouth, running his tongue across hers. He growled low in his throat before pushing her back into the pillows, their mouths separating for a few seconds. She whined at the loss of his warmth before he was over her, kissing her hotly again and caging her in with his arms, bracing himself over her.

His legs were on either side of her hips and his hands on either side of her head. She sighed into his kiss and again slid her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling into his hair. Her leg slid up the inside of his thigh and stopped just below his crotch, teasing. His entire body tensed and he groaned, low and lustful, before grabbing her and flipping their positions, his mouth never leaving hers. One of his hands slid up her thigh, to the edge of her miniskirt, and paused there, seemingly waiting for permission.

She complied in the only way she felt necessary; she brushed her fingers over the bulge in his trousers. He moaned darkly and pressed her body against his, immobilizing her and rendering her completely helpless to tease.

And tease he did. Her arms were trapped under his hands, and he took the opportunity to nuzzle the soft skin of her neck happily, his tongue darting out to lick the junction between shoulder and neck.

She shivered and wriggled her arms out from under him, taking the moment of surprise to slip his jacket off his shoulders in one swift motion. He let her, but quickly returned to nuzzling her skin with his nose. His hot breath sent shivers running endlessly down her spine until she couldn't take it anymore. Her hand slid down his stomach to the waistband of his trousers, and it was his turn to blush and wriggle under her. She leaned forward and brushed her clothed chest against his bare one and smirked at the low moan that escaped his throat. Her other hand grasped both of his and drew them up over his head, stopping for a moment to unwind his scarf from his neck, and used the fabric to trap his wrists there. He gave her an annoyed and desiring look, but that quickly turned heated when her lips met his throat, cool against hot. His entire body tensed and he hissed, tilting his head to the side to give her better access.

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shi-

Fuck.

He wasn't gonna be able to hold back any longer with her like this. Her _definitely-not-covered _bum was pressed flush against him, and her hand was teasing through the straining fabric of his pants.  
"Lu-Luuucceee…." He choked out, forcing himself to stay somewhat relaxed with her body so close. "Llluuuucyyy….ahhh!" He bucked his hips once, his control slipping for that fraction of an instant, and her entire body language changed. She sat up and placed both hands on his heaving chest, her chocolate eyes sparkling with mischief.

He realized her intent seconds before she moved. "Luce-!" too late. She shifted her hips just a fraction, and his heart skipped a beat. "Ah! Lucy! Fuck-" She moved again and the air left his lungs in one fell breath.  
"How does that feel, Natsu?" She asked quietly, tracing some random pattern on his chest with a finger. He inhaled sharply and hissed out, "Amazing…" She smiled, a genuinely happy look, and it made her so beautiful that for a moment, he forgot exactly how…intimate…their position was.

He took advantage of that and rolled his hips once under her, smirking when she gasped and a tiny whimper escaped her. "How does _that_ feel, Lucy?" He mimicked, grinning up at her. She shot him a playful glare, and something in her gaze shifted. Her lips widened into a very naughty smirk and she shifted over him, instantly rendering him helpless again. She drew her hands down his sides, over the bandage that still covered his wound, and his eyes followed them up her legs to her hips, her waist, up and over her bosom, and finally to her neck, where she stopped them at her zipper. She pulled it down, agonizingly slow, and stopped at the swell of her breasts. He growled and she giggled softly, leaning down to brush them against his chest again. A loud rumbling sound erupted from his chest, sounding almost like a purr, and she laughed.  
"What?"  
"Nothing…You usually only make that sound when you're sleeping with me." She teased, smirking when he blushed. "But only sometimes. Why's that?"

He frowned and the blush on his cheeks turned into an all-out rose color. "Cuz it's only when I dream of you, too." He mumbled.

She sighed and stretched forward, planting a kiss on his forehead before shifting, laying down beside him instead. Her nose brushed against the scar on his neck and he smiled, turning his head to kiss her blonde hair. She sighed and snuggled into him.

The sweet moment was somewhat ruined when her leg brushed over the still-tented fabric of his trousers. He stiffened and gasped, the purr erupting from his throat again. She laughed in a very sultry way and drew a circling path down his side, her fingers cool against his heated skin. When they reached his waistband, they lingered for a moment before slipping underneath and brushing his tip. He jerked up and groaned; just a light touch from her fingers and he was acting like this. It made him eager and curious to see what might happen next. She sat up, her hand never leaving his trousers, and continued to tease him with feather-light brushes and fleeting contact. He writhed and moaned and strained to get her to just _fucking touch him-hold him_ but she continued to tease. The heat was pooling in him, aching to be released, but her touches kept holding him back, denying him that one thing he so desperately wanted.

He could feel his scarf loosening around his wrists, and slipped them free of their confinement. He launched himself up into a sitting position and caught her when she tried to slip away from him. He tugged the zipper of her vest down and slid the garment off her. She squirmed and giggled when he kissed her bared shoulder, then shot him a heated look and slid her hand under his waistband again. This time she grasped him gently and was rewarded with a jerk and a low growl. One hand tangled in her hair and the other hand slid up to cup her breast. He unclasped her bra and her breasts were released. A low groan sounded from his throat and he tugged her hair free of its braids.

He kissed her hotly, wetly, and his hand slid under her skirt to cup her. She gasped and wriggled, moaning loudly when he brushed a finger over her. It was not a welcome feeling.  
"Na-Natsuu!" She gasped, falling against him. She tried to sit back up but he tightened the hand in her hair and pulled her back, probably unaware of his action. He kissed her neck and bit down rather harshly on the mark he'd left before. She yelped in pain and jerked away from him. She sat back on her calves and folded her arms across her chest, avoiding his gaze.

"Lucy, are you okay? Did I hurt you?" He asked worriedly, reaching for her. She drew back and shook her head, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Hey, don't cry! What's wrong?" He squeaked, surprise and worry seeping into his voice. When she twisted away and attempted to get up, he reached forward and grabbed her hand, gently tugging her back down onto the bed. "Luce, wait a sec." he said softly, moving to kneel in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest, blushing furiously, and he frowned. Glancing around, he grabbed his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, kissing her forehead before returning to his kneeling position. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I didn't mean to get so rough, I've never done this before…" He mumbled, blinking up at her. She sighed and brushed her fingers over his cheek, tiredly forgiving him. He smiled and grasped her hand gently in his, pressing a kiss to her palm. "So I'm forgiven?" He asked.

"Yes." She answered, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. His shoulders slumped and he grinned happily. She smiled in return and yawned, alerting him to how tired she was. It was almost midnight, after all. He stood and picked her up, moving her onto the bed, and helped her under the covers. "Lucy?"  
"Hmm?"  
"I love you." He hesitated a fraction of a second before adding, "Good night." She rolled over so she was facing him and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso. She was smiling into his chest and quickly he relaxed, all embarrassment and awkwardness forgotten.  
"I love you too, you big idiot. Good night." She yawned and snuggled into him, and he took that as a good sign to slide his arms around her shoulders and pull her close. Soon the sound of her light breathing slowed and her heartbeat slowed to an easy, slow pace, signaling that she was asleep. He smirked and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent, before allowing sleep to finally take over, after a full day of fighting and little sleep beforehand.

**Ta-daaa! Here it is! The almost-smut chapter of Midnight Madness! Next comes a short Graylu scene, followed by a Lolu, and finally Lalu. A short little Gajevy will be at the end to tie it up, so be patient!**


	3. Chapter 3

_She heard the scream before she saw the blood.__Watched the bolt of raw energy rip through her friend before she heard the scream.__She whirled to see why Juvia had screamed.__She hadn__'__t been prepared for what she saw next._

_Her raven-headed friend had shoved the water mage out of the way and took a bolt to the chest.__His mouth was open in a soundless scream as he fell-seemingly in slow motion-to the ground.__Blood exploded from his back onto the ground, like some sick version of a waterspout._

Gray waited impatiently for her to walk through the doors. Who was she? Well, only the prettiest girl in all of Fiore, a specific celestial mage. So when she didn't come, he started to get a bit antsy. "Happy!" He called the little exceed, who quickly ran over, a fat fish in his mouth.  
"Yosh?"  
"Where's Lucy?"  
"Oh, she'sh at her houshe with Natshuu. He wanted to shayy shomethin to her, but I couldn't shtay, he kicked me out!" The blue cat looked very put out. "I think Natshu kisshed Lushyy."

At the angry aura emanating from the ice mage, Happy quickly excused himself and hurried away, fearful of the raven-haired man's wrath.  
"Erza!"  
"What?"

"I'm gonna get Lucy. I'll be right back."  
"Okay-" He was gone before he heard the rest of her sentence. Juvia watched forlornly as her Gray-sama hurried out into the night to Lucy-san's house. "Gray-samaaa…"

He arrived at the apartment to find it locked and all the lights off. Instead of knocking, like he normally would, he pulled a Natsu and climbed up to her window. Said window was unlocked, so he got inside that way. Glancing around, he found himself in her kitchen. Making his way to the bedroom, he found her in bed, sound asleep, but in Natsu's arms. Said fire mage was bare-chested, without even his scarf, which had found its way to the floor, along with what looked like Lucy's clothes. She was wearing flame-brain's jacket around her shoulders, and the fire mage had her tucked against his chest. Gray quickly woke the fire mage, trying as hard as he could to restrain his seething anger.

"Whaddaya wan', stupid ice-head?" Natsu slurred sleepily, pulling Lucy closer.

"What the hell are you doing, flame-brain? What did you do to her?!" He hissed, glaring murderously at the half-awake fire mage.

"I _was_ sleepin', til you got here. I ain' do nothin' ta Luce, now go 'way…" Natsu mumbled, rolling back over and burying his face in Lucy's hair.

Ohhh, he was so jealous. _He _wanted to snuggle with the celestial mage. _He_ wanted to do whatever the hell Natsu did with her. _He _wanted to love her openly like flame-brain.

But he couldn't.

He retreated to the windowsill of Lucy's bedroom and sat down, watching the sleeping girl for a while. Natsu gave him half-hearted glares from over Lucy's shoulder but refrained from doing anything.

How come he had to stay away from Lucy? Why was he denied something so simple, so essential like love? Why was Lucy in love with _Natsu_, of all people? It just wasn't fair.

Wow, he sounded like a child in his head. _It__'__s Lucy__'__s decision,_ he mused, _and she chose Natsu.__I shouldn__'__t be rude or unhappy.__If she__'__s happy, I__'__m happy.__That__'__s it.__End of story._ He frowned at the celestial's sleeping face, then gave up and smiled softly. She was so preciously adorable, especially in her sleep. He couldn't ever be mad at that face.

Well, not for long, anyways.

He stood and closed the window, then made his way to the kitchen and closed that window as well, seeing as he'd left it wide open in his anger to find Lucy. When it was closed and latched, he returned to Lucy's bedroom, shot Natsu a _hurt-her-and-die_ look, bent down and kissed the sleeping girl's head, and left through the front door.

When returned to the guild, he found Juvia waiting at the entrance to the hall.

"Gray-sama, do you love Lucy-chan?" She asked bluntly. He flinched, realizing that she had certainly witnessed his storming out of the hall.

"I…I did."  
"Did? Does Lucy-chan know?"  
"No."  
"Juvia is sorry, Gray-sama."  
"For what?"  
"That Natsu-san and Lucy-chan are together now."  
"Oh."  
"And, Gray-sama?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Your clothes…"  
"Shit!" He gathered his pants and pulled them back on again, blushing furiously.

"Gray-sama is so silly…"  
"Oh, yeah, yeah…" He muttered, glaring at his hands. "Hey, Juvia?"  
"Yes, Gray-sama?"  
"Tomorrow, are you doing anything special?"  
"No, why?"  
"Well, I thought maybe you might wanna go somewhere with me?"

"Really?!" the water mage squealed. Before she could tackle him or melt into a puddle, he grinned and moved forward, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, before turning away and walking home. Behind him, Juvia squealed and fainted.

Maybe he couldn't love Lucy like he wanted, but he could still be there for her as a brother.

And maybe it was time to let Juvia in.

**Hot damn. Sorry this chapter is so short, guys! I'm not used to doing Gruvia or Graylu just yet, so it's a bit discombobulated. Sorry 'bout that.**


	4. Chapter 4

She was beautiful, he mused. It made him jealous of Natsu, how even a brush of fingertips could reduce him to a blushing, babbling buffoon. The fire mage was so head-over-heels for Lucy, it was tangible, especially for his feline senses.

And his master felt the same way. Anytime Natsu smiled at her and slung an arm around her shoulder, Lucy's whole face lit up with joy and she smiled brighter than the sun.

It made him extremely jealous of Natsu. His master was a celestial mage; not just any mage, but the princess Heartfilia herself, the heir to the celestial kingdom. The beautiful lady who saved his life when he wanted to disappear.

And then there was Gray. Any spirit within twenty yards of the ice mage knew his feelings for Lucy. It almost made him feel bad for the raven-haired mage.

In a way, they were in the same boat; in love with a girl who was destined to love their friend. It was almost laughable, how alike they were. That's why he volunteered to be Gray's partner for the S-Class trials. When they had time, they talked about Lucy. She was a mutual interest, in more ways than romance, and both of them had been jealous of everyone else; of each other, of Mirajane, Laxus, Cana, hell, even Gajeel. Especially Natsu; they were always jealous of him. He had something special with Lucy; their nakama bond was thrice stronger than the bond she had with either of them.

He loved her from the day she set foot in Fairy Tail, and he'd still been an exiled spirit. He guessed he had Natsu to thank for meeting her; in a way, the flame-headed mage had saved his life by inviting Lucy to join Fairy Tail. It made him laugh to think of how soft the girl had been at first, but how quickly she'd joined the family and how well she fit in.

She was the friend Gray never had, the mediator between him and Natsu, the peacekeeper between Mirajane and Laxus, and the girl he'd fallen head over heels for so long ago. It's why doing what he was doing hurt so badly.

She was smiling at him as her celestial form slowly materialized beside him, at _him_, even though his job was to take her to the celestial world, away from Natsu, from Gray, from Fairy Tail. It's the hardest thing he ever had to do; take someone from where they rightly belong and cast them into a whole new unfamiliar world. But it was his task. Lucy had given her life to save Natsu; the purest, most selfless act he'd ever seen-_wait.__A pure, selfless act__…__She__'__s allowed to stay._ He realized she was technically allowed to stay on earth, alive, with Natsu and everyone else.

Looking down at her broken body, lying there dying in Natsu's arms, he couldn't help but feel hurt that she'd done something so stupidly reckless. Even Natsu was saying so:

"Lucy, NO! You stupid, stupid, stupid girl! Why would you do something like that?! They wanted me, they would've gotten me, but you got in the way. I'd rather die than live without you, Luce! I-" The fire mage cut off and bowed his head, sobs wracking his form. She brushed her fingers across his face and smiled weakly.

"Natsu…" He watched as the fire mage grasped her fingers and held them up against his jaw. "I-It's okay…" she whispered, "I'm….I-I'm sti-still here…" Blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth and down her chin. "I..I lo-ove you…" She breathed, the air rattling in her chest. She let out one last shaky breath and her hand was limp in Natsu's. The fire mage stiffened and started to call her name, his voice cracking and growing more and more urgent. He couldn't watch it anymore and turned to face her.

She had appeared in all her beauty and youthfulness, her skin flawless and smooth, the Fairy Tail guild mark once again emblazoned on her hand. She was dressed in a simple white dress, elegantly beautiful with a fitted bodice ending at her hips with a long flowing skirt that billowed around her legs as she stood. Her blonde hair was loose, cascading freely down her back and returned to its original length-down to the small of her back-with a soft glow.

She turned her gaze to her dying form and Natsu and a frown darkened her beautiful face. Her chocolate eyes sparkled with tears and he quickly stepped forward to wipe them away.

"You can stay with him." He told her quietly. She gasped soundlessly-her voice was not yet with her-and mouthed, _how?_

"You performed an act of pure selflessness by giving your life up for his, even though it would certainly have killed you. You didn't even hesitate, so the spirit council and myself have decided that you should stay." He glanced at the fire mage and smiled faintly. "Someone has to look after him, after all. And he's decided that you're the only one who can."

_He who?_ She mouthed, following his gaze to Natsu. _Oh._ He laid a hand on her shoulder and smirked.

"Come on. He needs you more than we do." Her face split into a huge grin. He wrapped her up in a hug, then quickly took her down to where Natsu was.

He set her down gently on her bare feet, hushing the other guild members that gasped in surprise at their sudden appearance, then strode forward to Natsu's side. He reached down and tapped the fire mage's shoulder.

Natsu flinched and whipped his head up to face him.

Never in his existence had he seen someone look so lost, so completely and utterly emotionally broken. And the phrase 'it only takes a moment to change a lifetime' was really the only way to describe the fire mage's face.

He said nothing, just grasped Lucy's dead form and took it gently from the pink-haired teen. Natsu offered no resistance, just watched him curiously.

He spoke a few soft words, and her body began to glow. It dissolved into starlight and swirled around Natsu once, ruffling his hair and brushing his cheek, before flowing to the Lucy that had come with him from the celestial realm. It fused to her skin, giving her the appearance of a person covered in light, before disappearing and leaving her standing there, real and human again, without a single blemish on her body. Her hair, which had been shorn off during her capture, was returned to its original length, and her hand was returned to her, the guild mark glowing brightly. She smiled brightly at him.

"Loke, thank you." She said softly, holding out a hand to him. He took it and lifted it to his mouth, kissing it reverently.

"Anything for my Princess." He murmured, winking at her before straightening and stepping back. He moved to stand behind her as Natsu stood and faced her.

"Lucy..?" he whispered, his eyes unbelieving. She smiled.

"Yes, Natsu. I can't just die with you around, can I?"  
"LUCY!" he cried, launching himself forward and wrapping his arms around her, engulfing her in a tight embrace. He was laughing and crying, murmuring her name over and over again. She laughed and slid her arms around his torso, burying her face in his shoulder.

He grinned as he watched them. Yes, he'd been looking forward to having his master back home, but seeing her happy was really all he wanted. If she was happiest in the land of the living, with Natsu and her guildmates, then he was happy too.

So, he took his leave, nodding to Erza and Gray before glancing one last time at the two reunited mages and disappearing to the spirit world.

_It hurts to not have her here, but it would hurt way more if she was here and unhappy._ He thought as he made his way back. _If Lucy is happy, then I__'__m happy._

_And that's all I need._

**Yay! Lolu came out waaayyyy better than expected. I'm so happy! **

**Next is the FINAL CHAPTER (dun-dun-duuuuun!) and Lucy's nightmares.**

**If I can, I will finish and post it tonight. If not, you'll see it sometime this week.**

**Have a wonderful evening and enjoy your week!**

**Kira'sGuardian**


	5. Chapter 5

_It was dark.__Very, very dark.__It made her shiver, in fact._

_It was cold, too.__She hadn__'__t realized it at first, but the cold had almost completely numbed her senses._

_Her eyes were tired; she could barely keep them open.__Her ears were ringing, some unknown wind was buffeting them with a torrent of sound and cold.__Her nose felt frostbitten.__Her fingers were numb, her toes were numb, her lips were dry and cold._

_And yet, she kept walking.__She was sure she__'__d end up somewhere else, but the cold kept getting worse and worse, until she finally couldn__'__t tell what was down and what was up, left or right._

_Suddenly, as she shivered, she heard someone call out.__It sounded familiar, yet at the same time, foreign._

_A figure appeared out of the darkness, just discernible by its movements.__She opened her mouth to call out and found that her voice had failed her.__It was gone._

_"__Anybody!__" __the figure yelled.__Suddenly it clicked and she gasped soundlessly.__Laxus.__It was Laxus calling out, yelling urgently._

_As she watched, his figure started to become more defined, the colors emerging from the darkness.__He was covered in blood; it ran down his chest and arms. _

_And then she saw another dark figure chasing after him._

_It resolved into Mirajane, and she ran headlong into the Lightning mage.__He twisted and pulled her into his arms. _

_She saw that the Demon mage was bleeding heavily, and that she__'__d collapsed.__Suddenly other guild members appeared, in varying degrees of injury._

_Levy was supporting Gajeel, the latter bleeding heavily from gashes all over his body.__The Script mage had scars on her face, blood dripping from a gash in her forehead._

_Bixlow was carrying Lisanna on his back, both sporting numerous slash marks._

_Freed was following after Cana, who had her arm around Gildarts__' __waist.__The Rune mage__'__s long hair was gone; instead it was cropped short on his head._

_Gray was helping Juvia limp forward, both mages covered in dirt, grime, and blood._

_Her spirits were there as well, each of them heavily injured._

_She looked around fervently for a specific dragon slayer, but the pinkette was nowhere to be seen._

_Erza was being assisted by Jellal, with Elfman and Evergreen walking close behind.__The Strauss had Master Makarov in his arms, the tiny man unconscious and unmoving._

_Finally she spotted him.__He was helping Wendy carry Sting Eucliffe, who was unconscious.__Wendy had Lector, the White dragon slayer__'__s Exceed, cradled in her arms.__Rogue__'__s Exceed, Frosch, as well as Happy, Charle, and Pantherlily, also followed close behind the young Wind dragon slayer._

_Natsu himself looked as if he was ready to topple over; dozens of cuts and scrapes covered his body, his face and chest almost bathed in blood._

_A scar traced down his face, over his eye and across his nose.__It looked as if it had been there a while._

_She tried to yell, tried to call them, to alert them to her presence.__They walked right past her.__Finally, Wendy and the Exceeds walked past her; Happy walked right into her arm, right _through_her arm._

_That was when she realized that she was invisible to them._

_Tears rolled down her face._

_They couldn__'__t see her, couldn__'__t save her._

_Someone shouted behind her, and she twisted in time to see Gildarts fall.__Cana dropped beside her father and shook him, yelling his name, but the older mage didn__'__t respond.__She looked up to face everyone and tears were rolling down her face._

_"__He__'__s dead.__" __She cried.__Suddenly, as if some greater force had pulled a lever, guild members started dropping like flies._

_Sting was suddenly on the ground, unmoving and unresponsive to anything Wendy did.__His Exceed crawled onto his stomach and curled up, dying with his master._

_Laxus laid Mirajane down gently, Elfman doing the same with Makarov.__Bixlow crouched down and Lisanna slid off his back onto the ground, the Possession mage catching her and laying her down gently._

_She started to cry harder and harder.__Suddenly only Natsu was left standing, and before her eyes, he, too, fell to the ground.__He was clutching at his side, curling into the fetal position._

_She scrambled to her frozen feet and hobbled to him, falling down halfway and crawling the rest.__He was gasping, trying to stay conscious, as he dug in his pocket for something.__She gasped as he pulled out her keyring.__He held it close to his heart and stopped trying to fight for air._

_"__Lucy__…__even...even though you did this to us__…__I know it wasn__'__t you__…" __he whispered, closing his eyes.__She reached out gingerly and found that she could touch his cheek.__His eyes flew open and settled on her.__"__I knew it__…__wasn__'__t you__…__Luce__…" __he breathed, his body going lax.__"__But__…__it__'__s too late__…__now__…" __He closed his eyes and his hand went limp around her keys.__"__Goodbye__…"_

_His final breath hissed out and she found herself staring at a face that would never smile again, never grin or breathe fire or stare at her curiously._

She woke to find herself in her own bed, with someone furiously shaking her. Her eyes settled on Natsu, who sat back and frowned at her. "Are you okay, Lucy?" he asked. "You were screaming in your sleep, and crying." She said nothing, just shot forward and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. He froze in surprise and was going to pry her off when he heard her sobs.

Choosing to forgo his original intent, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, stroking her hair gently.

Happy, who'd come with him and seen all, shot him a confused glance, to which he shrugged. The Exceed frowned and scrambled forward, wiggling his way under Lucy's arms into the embrace. She felt his paws wrap around her middle and calmed a bit.

"What's the matter?" Natsu murmured, drawing her back by the shoulders. She sniffled and rubbed furiously at her eyes.

"Nothing, nothing-" She said shakily, trying to force a smile onto her face. He interrupted her shortly.

"Don't lie, Lucy. What's bothering you? Was it a nightmare?" He snapped angrily. She nodded and looked at her hands, balled up in the sheets. He frowned and grasped her jaw in one hand, tipping her face up to look at him. "Tell me what it was, Lucy. It's alright."

She crumpled and started to cry again, and he quickly wiped away the tears, bringing both hands up to cup her face. "Hey, hey, don't cry! It was just a nightmare, it wasn't real!" He soothed, giving her a soft smile. She sniffed and looked at him with watery eyes.

"E-Everyone…everyone died…" She whispered. "It was cold and windy, and the whole guild was there. Everyone died around me, they couldn't see me. Nobody could see me…" She paused and took a shaky breath, "Until you." He cocked his head and wiped away tears that threatened to fall. "Until you died. Then you saw me…you…you said I killed everyone, but that it wasn't really me. That you knew that…b-but it was t-too late to do anything…" She started to cry and he pulled her to his chest again, soothing her as best he could.

"It's okay, Lucy. We're all here, we're safe. It was just a bad dream, and it won't happen again. I promise." He kissed the crown of her head and rested his chin there, running his fingers through her sweaty hair. She clung tightly to him, and Happy gave him a worried glance from under her arms. He frowned and tilted her chin up.

"I'm always gonna be here, Luce. I'll always find you, I will always protect you. There's no need to worry about the guild; nothing will happen to them." He kissed her nose and forehead, then leaned forward and kissed her gently on the mouth. She buried her nose into his tunic and sighed, trying to calm herself. He slid an arm under her legs and the other behind her back, then lifted her up and carried her downstairs to the living room. He set her down on the couch and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders and seating himself next to her. Pulling her into his lap, he leaned back against the edge of the couch and let her curl up on his chest.

He knew she needed this; needed some form of contact that wasn't just friendly. He stroked a hand through her hair absently and let her fall asleep there, then watched her for a while.

He meant what he said, but he also hadn't said everything.

_I promise to protect you, Lucy.__I promise to love you always, from now til the end of time.__I__'__ll always love you, I__'__ll always protect you, I__'__ll always care.__I__'__m always gonna be here for you._

**And there we have it! The end~for now? Could it be? A SEQUEL STORY?! Nah. Just more stories you should check out.**

**Love you all~**

**Kira'sGuardian**


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